US5503901A — Surface treatment method and surface treatment ap…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 90 words

A surface treatment method for performing treating operation over a surface of a semiconductor substrate by using a fluorocarbon gas, comprising: a gas supply step of supplying a gas containing a fluorocarbon gas; and an etching step of generating ions by exciting the fluorocarbon gas, controlling an ion having (CF 2 ) n + (n=1, 2, 3, . . . ) as a major component among the generated ions so as to be guided onto the semiconductor substrate, and selectively etching a silicon oxide film against a silicon nitride film.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 90 words

A surface treatment method for performing treating operation over a surface of a semiconductor substrate by using a fluorocarbon gas, comprising: a gas supply step of supplying a gas containing a fluorocarbon gas; and an etching step of generating ions by exciting the fluorocarbon gas, controlling an ion having (CF 2 ) n + (n=1, 2, 3, . . . ) as a major component among the generated ions so as to be guided onto the semiconductor substrate, and selectively etching a silicon oxide film against a silicon nitride film.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 64 words

A surface treatment method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the etching step includes a step of controlling an energy incident to the semiconductor substrate such that the energy has an energy value capable of causing reaction induced on the silicon nitride film by the ion having (CF 2 ) n + as the major component to be shifted from etching to deposition.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 135 words

A surface treatment method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the etching step includes a step of controlling the energy incident to the semiconductor substrate such as to satisfy the following relationships where x (=CF 3 + /(C 2 F 4 + +CF 3 + )) is ratio of a CF 3 + concentration to a (C 2 F 4 + +CF 3 + ) concentration in the ions obtained by the ion dissociation and E is an incident energy directed to the semiconductor substrate, whereby the ions are guided onto the semiconductor substrate and selective etching is performed to the silicon oxide film against the silicon nitride film. 152 eV<E≦223 eV, and x<-0,744+19768.7/(214.8E -21240) where x : CF 3 + /(C 2 F 4 + +CF 3 + ) E: ion incident energy.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 55 words

A surface treatment method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the etching step includes a step of selectively etching a silicon oxide film against a silicon nitride film by controlling the ions such that energy incident to the semiconductor substrate is 152 eV or less, and by guiding the ions onto the semiconductor substrate.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 37 words

A surface treatment method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the etching step is a step of controlling an ion beam such as to satisfy the relationships and guiding the ion beam onto the semiconductor substrate.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 37 words

A surface treatment method as set forth in claim 4, wherein the etching step is a step of controlling an ion beam such as to satisfy the relationships and guiding the ion beam onto the semiconductor substrate.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 46 words

A surface treatment method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gas supply step includes a step of supplying a c-C 4 F 8 + gas as the fluorocarbon gas, and the ions are generated by changing the c-C 4 F 8 gas into plasma.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 124 words

A surface treatment method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gas supply step includes a step of supplying a c-C 4 F 8 gas as the fluorocarbon gas under a reduced pressure into an air-tight reaction container which accommodates the semiconductor substrate, and the etching step is a step of selectively etching a silicon oxide film against a silicon nitride film by changing a c-C 4 F 8 gas into plasma to generate ions, controlling the generated ions such that a ratio of CF 3 + ion concentration to a total concentration of (CF 2 ) n + in the ions to be guided onto the semiconductor substrate becomes 8% or less, and by guiding the controlled ions onto the semiconductor substrate.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 81 words

A surface treatment method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gas supply step includes a step of supplying a c-C 4 F 8 gas and at least one of Kr and Xe gases under a reduced pressure into an air-tight reaction container for accommodating the semiconductor substrate, and the ion dissociation is carried out by generating a plasma from a mixture gas of the c-C 4 F 8 gas and at least one of the Kr and Xe gases.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 74 words

A surface treatment method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gas supply step includes a step of supplying a c-C 4 F 8 gas under a reduced pressure into an air-tight reaction container which accommodates the semiconductor substrate, and the ion dissociation is carried out by exciting the gas by using an electron beam which is controlled so that an electron energy is less than 33 eV so as to generate plasma.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 65 words

A surface treatment method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gas supply step includes a step of supplying a c-C 4 F 8 gas under a reduced pressure into an air-tight reaction container which accommodates the semiconductor substrate, and the ion is generated by generating a plasma from the gas with use of light having wavelengths of between 70.9 nm and 102.5 nm.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 142 words

A surface treatment method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gas supply step includes a step of supplying a c-C 4 F 8 gas under a reduced pressure into an air-tight reaction container which accommodates the semiconductor substrate, and the ion dissociation is carried out by changing the gas into plasma, and by controlling the following relation in which collision coefficient N represents collision between c-C 4 F 8 molecules present in the plasma and electrons present in the plasma, n e represents an electron density in the plasma, τ represents a stay time of the c-C 4 F 8 molecules in the plasma within the air-tight reaction container. N=n e x τ≦7.2E8 τ=P x V x Q -1 P: c-C 4 F 8 partial pressure V: volume of the reaction container Q : c-C 4 F 8 flow rate.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 42 words

A surface treatment method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the etching step includes a step of controlling such that an incident energy of ions to the semiconductor substrate generated by changing the gas into plasma becomes 500 eV or less.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 45 words

A surface treatment method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the ions are generated by generating magnetron plasma while controlling such that the stay time τ=P x V/Q of the c-C 4 F 8 molecules present in the plasma becomes 24 msec or less.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 52 words

A surface treatment method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the ions are generated by generating plasma by using a parallel plate plasma generation apparatus while controlling such that the stay time τ=P x V/Q of the c-C 4 F 8 molecules present in the plasma becomes 720 msec or less.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 49 words

A surface treatment method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the ions are generated by exciting the gas by a controlled electron beam while controlling such that the stay time τ=P x V/Q of the c-C 4 F 8 molecules present in plasma becomes 7.2 msec or less.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 52 words

A surface treatment method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the ion dissociation is achieved by generating plasma by using a microwave-excited plasma generation apparatus while controlling such that the stay time τ=P x V/Q of the c-C 4 F 8 molecules present in the plasma becomes 7.2 msec or less.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 53 words

A surface treatment method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the ion dissociation is achieved by generating plasma by using an inductive coupled plasma generation apparatus while controlling such that the stay time τ=P x V/Q of the c-C 4 F 8 molecules present in the plasma becomes 0.72 msec or less.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 52 words

A surface treatment method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the ion dissociation is achieved by generating plasma by using a helicon-excited plasma generation apparatus while controlling such that the stay time τ=P x V/Q of the c-C 4 F 8 molecules present in the plasma becomes 0.072 msec or less.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 68 words

A surface treatment method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the gas supply step includes a step of supplying a c-C 4 F 8 gas under a reduced pressure into an air-tight reaction container which accommodates the semiconductor substrate, and the ions are generated by changing the gas into plasma by using an high-frequency pulse signal modulated with pulses of several milliseconds to several hundreds of milliseconds.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 68 words

A surface treatment method as set forth in claim 4, wherein the gas supply step includes a step of supplying a c-C 4 F 8 gas under a reduced pressure into an air-tight reaction container which accommodates the semiconductor substrate, and the ions are generated by changing the gas into plasma by using an high-frequency pulse signal modulated with pulses of several milliseconds to several hundreds of milliseconds.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 25 words

A surface treatment method as set forth in claim 20, wherein the plasma of the gas is generated by a magnetron excited plasma generation apparatus.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 67 words

A surface treatment method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gas supply step includes a step of supplying a c-C 4 F 8 gas under a reduced pressure into an air-tight reaction container which accommodates the semiconductor substrate, and the ions are generated by changing the gas into plasma by using an electron beam modulated with pulses of several milliseconds to several tens of milliseconds.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 70 words

A surface treatment apparatus comprising: gas supply means for supplying a fluorocarbon gas onto a semiconductor substrate disposed within a reaction container; gas exhaustion means for exhausting gas within the reaction container; and ion species control means for changing the fluorocarbon gas into plasma and controlling such as to guide an ion having (CF 2 ) n + as a major component among the obtained ions onto the semiconductor substrate.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 70 words

A surface treatment apparatus comprising: gas supply means for supplying a fluorocarbon gas onto a semiconductor substrate disposed within a reaction container; gas exhaustion means for exhausting gas within the reaction container; and ion species control means for changing the fluorocarbon gas into plasma and controlling such as to guide an ion having (CF 2 ) n + as a major component among the obtained ions onto the semiconductor substrate.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 141 words

A surface treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 24, further comprising means for controlling at least one of the gas supply means and the gas exhaustion means so as to control the c-C 4 F 8 flow rate Q or the c-C 4 F 8 partial pressure such that a collision coefficient N indicative of collision between c-C 4 F 8 molecules present in the plasma and electrons present in the plasma, n e indicative of an electron density in the plasma and τ indicative of a stay time of the c-C 4 F 8 molecules in the plasma within the air-tight reaction container satisfy the following relationship. N =n e x τ≦7.2E8 where τ=P x V x Q -1 P: c-C 4 F 8 partial pressure V: volume of the reaction container Q: c-C 4 F 8 flow rate

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 40 words

A surface treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 24, wherein the ion species control means includes means for changing the gas into plasma by using an electron beam modulated with pulses of several milliseconds to several tens of milliseconds.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1999-04-02	1999-10-02	2000-04-02	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2003-04-02	2003-10-02	2004-04-02	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2007-04-02	2007-10-02	2008-04-02	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Surface treatment method and surface treatment apparatus

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